PRO FOOTBALL

PRO FOOTBALL; Eagles' Inconsistency Has Rhodes Feeling Powerless

Published: November 10, 1997

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 9—
The fiery sermons no longer do wonders. The motivational methods that served Ray Rhodes so well when he was coach of the year in 1995 are now out of fashion with the Philadelphia Eagles.

''It definitely looks like I've been shut out the door,'' said Rhodes, whose team plays the San Francisco 49ers (8-1) on Monday night. ''It's like I'm on the outside talking in.''

Rhodes, who coaxed 10 victories out of the Eagles in each of the past two seasons, has not found a way to get through to this year's team, which slipped to 4-5 with a 31-21 loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week. He is befuddled as he watches his team make the same mistakes week after week.

There are the penalties, 15 in last week's loss and 71 over all in a season in which the National Football League average is 60.

There is the inability to score points despite churning out a National Conference-leading 3,293 yards. And there are the special teams woes, a problem throughout Rhodes's three years with the Eagles.

''There are a lot of questions out there,'' Rhodes said. ''There are only a small number of answers.''

Rhodes has shuffled quarterbacks this season, and Ty Detmer will return to the starting lineup against San Francisco. Benched after starting the first six games, Detmer replaced Rodney Peete midway through last week's loss and threw two touchdown passes but also two costly interceptions.

''Sometimes we're moving the ball and doing fine, and then we come out and we look like a high school team,'' Detmer said.

While the defense has, for the most part, played well, the offense has been hurt by poor field position that has forced long marches just to get within hailing distance of the end zone.

The 49ers are the last top-tier team on Philadelphia's schedule, but a loss to San Francisco will leave little room to stumble the rest of the way.

''To be at 4-6 at this point of the season will probably make it pretty difficult for us to make the playoffs,'' wide receiver Irving Fryar said.

The playoffs are all but certain for the 49ers. Coming is a three-game stretch against Kansas City (7-3), Minnesota (8-2) and Denver (9-1), but the other games are against teams floating near .500: Carolina, San Diego, Seattle and the Eagles.

Garrison Hearst, whose 4.5-yards-a-carry average has helped revive what had been a dormant 49er running game, said his team's record had been unfairly criticized by those who cited the 21-33 combined mark of its first nine opponents.

''Maybe the people we've played haven't had the best records, but we've played some of the best defenses in the league,'' he said.

''I was charged with taking a good football team and trying to make it better,'' Coach Steve Mariucci said. ''With the expectations the way they are here, it leaves very little room for error.''

Mariucci worked with Detmer when he was Green Bay's quarterbacks coach from 1992-95, but he insisted that would not give him any particular edge this week.

''We prepare for their offense, which is a lot like ours,'' he said. ''I don't give our defensive staff any input.''